The new facility, made possible by a gift from Foster Farms, is scheduled to open in the spring semester of 2013. The Foster Farms Poultry Education and Research Facility is part of the company’s longstanding support of agricultural education and its commitment to ongoing advancements in poultry science. Foster Farms contributed to the engineering, design and construction of the building and will provide ongoing program support.

The 16,000-square-foot eco-friendly, power-efficient building will include advanced climate-control and feed delivery systems replicating professional poultry production. The facility has been designed to provide hands-on agricultural training and education for more than 500 students in the Animal Sciences and Agricultural Education Department. Faculty and students are also expected to conduct research in the areas of poultry nutrition, animal welfare and improved environmental practices.

“Foster Farms is committed to enriching poultry science education and furthering agriculture as a contributor to our state’s economy,” said Foster Farms Senior Vice President Mike Pruitt. “As a Central Valley-based poultry company, we are pleased to be able to support advanced education in our own community.”

Poultry Science Professor Michelle Ganci said, "They can take that exact learning that they do out here on campus and take it right to those companies they will be working for, and be proficient and efficient, and know exactly what to do and how to do it."